Light emitting diode (LED) based lighting systems may offer several energy and reliability advantages over other types of lighting systems such as, for example, incandescent or fluorescent lighting. Thus, LED based lighting systems may be widely used to replace other existing lighting technologies.
In one approach for providing an LED based light, multiple LEDs may be connected in series with one another in a string within a lighting fixture, where the LEDs may be driven at a regulated current. Specifically, a bypass switch such as, for example, a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) may be used to selectively control current to a specific group of LEDs located within the string. However, this type of arrangement may be relatively difficult or very complex to control. Therefore, there exists a continuing need in the art for a more efficient, simpler, and cost-effective approach for controlling one or more LEDs.